Man, 67, killed on I-57

A motorist whose truck had broken down was killed when he lost his balance and fell into the path of an oncoming car on I-57 near south suburban Markham this evening, according to authorities.

It was about 4:55 p.m .when Oviel Garza’s truck broke down in a right lane of southbound I-57 near Kedzie, said Illinois State Police District Chicago Master Sgt. Master Sgt. Satkiewicz.

Garza, 67, had called for a tow truck and was waiting for his vehicle to be towed when he went back into the disabled truck and apparently lost his balance and fell into the path of an oncoming car, said Satkiewicz.

Garza was dead on the scene, according to the sergeant.

The Cook County medical examiner’s office said Garza lived in the 19700 block of South Edinburgh Lane in Frankfort.

Garza’s wife was on the scene at the time but it was no known if she was in the disabled vehicle or in the tow truck.

The driver of the car which hit him called 911 and no citations have been issued, according to Satkiewicz, who said as of 8 p.m. two of three southbound lanes remained closed as crews investigate.

In a separate crash that happened Wednesday on I-57 about 30 miles from Kankakee, two people were fatally hit by vehicles -- a man trying to fix his tire and an 80-year-old good Samaritan from Bartlett who had come to his aid, state police say.